(SCT) Hey, Saunas Are Super Manly!

[Tim Tawfeek]

So Tim didn't know why he kept signing up for these things, at least, not really. He generally enjoyed being inside more than anything else, inside and hooked up to some kind of machine or something. Yet he still found himself traipsing off to whatever location that the powers that be had decided the students needed to go traipsing off to. Then, when he got there, he discovered just how totally and completely out of his league he actually was.

Which was why he was sitting in a sauna right now, regretting his decision. "Why do people want to willingly cook themselves?" he asked the empty, steamed air. His glasses had fogged up so much that he'd just opted to leave them sitting on the wooden bench next to him, which left him as blind as the bats he could communicate with. He'd only made it to the seat thanks to echolocation and cliche room planning. "This has got to be the stupidest, most idiotic--"

Tim stopped, hearing the door open. He slouched as soon as he heard it open, sniffing and wiping his sweaty nose with the edge of his arm. "Yeah, this is totally just the manliest thing ever, am I right?" he looked at the person, hoping that he got the traditional smelly old fat guy instead of some kind of frat dude (though Tim wouldn't say no to having an attractive female, though that might make things just a little bit awkward [which Tim should be used to by now, really]).

[Trevor Paige]

Things had been... complicated since Trevor's less than triumphant return. It took merely a handful of hours before he'd stumbled across his ex-girlfriend, twice, and the exchanges were, as expected, loaded with tension, awkward silences and evasive conversation. It almost had felt like old times. Then there was the debacle on the ski slopes, that was certainly something that would be better soon forgotten. All in all, his decision to go rogue and show up to the Academy ski trip of his own volition was teetering on the brink of disaster. At least the resort's sauna was nice and seemed to not be getting that much use. Leave it to the students at the Academy to not appreciate the relaxing nature of boiling oneself in a steamy room.

"It has its merits." Tim had been the last person Trevor would have expected to find and hearing the boy's familiar voice cut through the steam came as a bit of a surprise. Like always, though, Trevor didn't miss a beat as he crossed the narrow room to take up a spot on the wooden bench a fair distance from Tim. Trevor may have been comfortable with himself and being in a near state of undress in the vicinity of other guys but he wasn't look to make things awkward for either of them. "You'd be surprised at how relaxing this can be if you let it."

Trevor let out a sigh as he settled into a comfortable position leaning against the wall. There was no mention of his abrupt three month hiatus or the quick, almost covert way in which he returned. Nothing of the deals he'd made with Tim, the money invested, nothing. Trevor's mind was far from any sort of business or school dealings and it looked as though he intended on keeping it that way.

"How have you been Tim?" He asked, his voice remarkably subdued.

[Tim Tawfeek]

So Tim neatly shat himself.

He definitely didn't expect to see Trevor Paige. Not really again, and definitely not here. Hadn't he disappeared after one of the Bellefonte twins dumped him or something? Tim had stopped following all the Dirty Laundry crap after it got him burned, so he couldn't quite remember, but he swore something like that had happened. He definitely hadn't seen Trevor since he'd gotten that phone rigged up and handed to him. So it felt really weird to just have a half-naked Trevor walking in.

At least Tim was physically bigger. And his power might actually help. He could... screech at Trevor and freak him out or something.

"I'm fine," said Tim, waving a hand and folding it over his chest, "totally fine. Completely fine. Just been hanging out. Spent Christmas with the girlfriend. Posted a new vid up while back about putting up lights in Kalispell. Waiting for IMAC to really kick off. So, yeah, things are good. They good with you? Of course they are," and lo, there was some nodding.

[Trevor Paige]

Trevor's head tilted back as he let the heat from the sauna do what it did best and take away not so much the aches in his body, but the knots and sore spots in his mind. It had been a hell of a return already. Still, he didn't hide the smile that touched his lips even as his eyes remained closed. "You finally got the girl you'd been after?" He said with a chuckle. "Congratulations." There was sincerity in his voice. Sure, he had lost out on something he had thought was special but that didn't mean he couldn't be happy for someone else. Tim was an interesting fellow, to say the least. But he was a good guy at heart and Trevor almost felt bad for potentially taking advantage of that. Almost.

"Me?" He gave a shrug of his slender shoulders. "I'm alright." There was another light chuckle though. "You're giving me too much credit, Tim." His head tilted, eyes opening so he could regard the other boy with a bit of a smirk. "Everything's not always perfect." In fact, Trevor was finding it hard to think of the last time it had felt as such. He exhaled slowly and returned to his eyes closed, head tilted back position. "We all go through the suck. Some of are just better at hiding it."

Fearing he may have tipped his hand at expressing the uncertainty surrounding just about everything in his life, Trevor took immediate steps to move the brief conversation along. "How are the videos coming along?" He asked. "Have you gone viral yet? Are you going to graduate and make YouTube videos full time?" It wasn't a condescending question but one laced with very real possibilities. If that had been the case, Tim would hardly end up being the first person who's place of business was the internet and he wouldn't be the last. In fact, Trevor was sort of counting on that. "When we get back to the Academy we should arrange some sort of advertising budget." He said, exhaling slowly. It was a plan, yes, but one Trevor obviously didn't have the desire to detail at the moment.

[Tim Tawfeek]

Was it just Tim, or did Trevor seem to have some of the abject terror he usually had with him drained? It was like someone had gone and kicked his ass and he'd come slouching back to the sauna to heal up and it felt... unnerving, to say the least. Tim could at least follow along with the conversation though. He nodded as Trevor asked about the girlfriend, offering a bit of a thanks. Trevor seemed almost put out by Tim's assuming he had things under control though.

Nice to know the creepy mafia boss of the school had things under control.

He didn't know? "Been hit and miss," he admitted. "I got a major hit with the one featuring Zoe, uh, Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe. She's putting on an art show, and I figure I'll cover that. Girl needed some clothes or something," Tim shrugged. "Also been doing some positive mutant PR. Hope to do something on IMAC when that rolls out. Getting some followers, but I figure that I'll probably stick with it through college at least," because Tim wanted the college experience too, obviously. He was already thinking about how much fun it was going to be.

"I've been avoiding ads so far, but we could always, uh, look into something. You're the money so, yeah," Tim shrugged. He didn't see as though he had any place to argue, really.

[Trevor Paige]

Trevor smirked a little even as he kept his eyes closed and head tilted back. At least it seemed as if something he'd tried to help build before he left was going well. That was the main reason he'd tapped Tim for this little project. He was reliable. "Keep it up." He said with a nod. "I think we can stand to get all the good PR we can."

When business came up, even though Trevor had fully intended on keeping the conversation light, the teen leaned forward a bit and glanced to Tim. "If you're serious about this we should get the word out." He said, already beginning to piece together some sort of marketing campaign. "Money's only part of all this." He admitted. "I really do believe in what you're doing." He said in a rare moment of sincerity. "We need a voice, any voice, and it's obvious you're passionate about it."

[Tim Tawfeek]

Keep it up? Well, at least Trevor sounded somewhat happy/pleased with what Tim had accomplished. He had that much going for him. It was enough to make Tim relax somewhat, though he still couldn't quite shake this feeling like Trevor wanted something from him, as if there was something specific to this whole encounter. Even when Trevor offered praise for the PR, that niggling feeling remained in the back of Tim's mind.

"Uh, yeah I'm serious," Tim admitted, nodding. "I've been working hard to try and get this to succeed. The whole Zoe thing nearly went viral. Something about a putting an adorable face to the whole mutant thing. They keep thinking that we're all terrorists or something, some kinda Brotherhood of Evil crap," Tim snorted, leaning forward. "It's crap, really..." Tim'd mind drifted to Lux, and as it did, he realized that somewhere along the line, his priorities had shifted too. It used to just be about getting famous, now, now it had to mean something...

...great, he was on track to become an activist, because they totally had it made, right?

[Trevor Paige]

Tim didn't have to tell Trevor what the public's perception of mutant's was. He'd been out in the world enough to already be well aware of their dubious reputation. Trevor's family worked in the private security and paramilitary sectors. It wasn't just the public who were being overly cautious in allowing mutants to just freely roam around. He had a bad feeling something was just waiting to happen that would cause everything to explode.

He nodded soberly, keeping his unwavering gaze locked up Tim. In many ways Trevor considered Tim to be his polar opposite. Trevor had the reputation of being egotistical and always out for money or personal gain while Tim was looked upon as a selfless guy just trying to do the right thing because no one else was. The thought was amusing, but one quickly dismissed as Trevor listened to Tim's reply and caught a glimpse of Tim's realization through the hazy steam.

"Look, you can relax." Trevor said assuredly as he went to lean back again. He was interested in Tim's endeavors in more than just the business sense, sure, but Trevor had no intention on going into full business mode just yet and the other teen's tension was throwing him off. "There's a time and a place for everything. This is neither." He smiled a little, though, as he realized he knew so little about a guy he'd invested so much into. "Tell me about your girlfriend." He said as almost an alternative topic of conversation.

[Tim Tawfeek]

Tim heard the words and chuckled, closing his eyes. He could remember standing up to Jack, telling the guy off even when Jack was threatening him with a baseball bat. And how many of Tim's ancestors had done something like that? So you'd think that Tim could at least stand up to Trevor, especially as the guy was seeming less and less like some kind of mafia boss and more and more like a semi-decent human being.

Tim looked over at Trevor, letting out a slight laugh and raising his brows. "Seriously?" he said. He shook his head. "Never thought I'd be naked in a sauna talking to Trevor Paige about my girlfriend," mostly because that would have required his having a girlfriend, which until Lux had apparently taken enough blows in the head to agree, had been something of an impossibility.

"Her name's Lux, well, Luxanna Veira, and she's so out of my league that's it's not funny," Tim chuckled and leaned back. "Uh, very beautiful... well, she was the prom princess, so you probably saw her then. She's also a complete dork though, and thinks everyone's awesome all the time. Kind of obsessed with Furbies," Tim paused, his lips pursed, "and her power is gonna end up killing her," he looked to Trevor, "sooner instead of later."

[Trevor Paige]

Trevor knew the girl in question and offered a bit of a knowing smile as Tim spoke of her. Was well aware of how it felt to converse about someone held in such high regard. He remembered speaking very fondly of Erika during their time together and sensed the same almost whimsical fancy in Tim's words. Of course, it all came crashing down as Tim felt the need to outline the girl's mortality. "That's troubling." Trevor replied with a frown, sitting up a little as the conversation took a turn toward a grim topic. "Well, all the more reason to enjoy the moments you do have." He offered with a nod.

It was a tragic story being told, indeed, but one Trevor suspected wasn't all too uncommon given their 'unique' genetic make up. He wondered for a moment how many before them had met with untimely ends at far too young an age due to their mutations. "I'm guessing the Academy medical staff has already done what they could for her?" He asked curiously, turning his attention back to Tim.

[Tim Tawfeek]

Tim nodded. "yeah, that's what we're doing. I'm also keeping an eye out for research and stuff, seeing if we can pull something here," He reached up and scratched at the back of his neck. Nobody, Lux included, really knew how long she was going to last. Then again, wasn't the whole damn school filled with sob stories? Mutant abilities definitely didn't result in awesome returns, that was for sure.

"They're starting," he continued, bobbing his head. "There's only so much on this stuff. It's almost like they waited way too long to really get started on the science." he let out a dry laugh. "I've got a friend who can build pretty well anything, and they had to have people like that for ages. So what the hell have they been wasting their time on?"

Tim shook his head. He didn't even pretend to understand. Then again, if you'd asked him a year ago... he would have mentioned something like the glider that he'd had Karl help him build. Still, they knew about people like Lux. It just felt wrong, not doing something about it now.

[Trevor Paige]

Trevor listened to Tim's story and, in spite of his alleged heartlessness, it truly did manage to tug on his heartstrings. Trevor could sense the strong emotions that came from Tim's voice as he spoke of his girlfriend. The feelings were genuine, not that Trevor doubted that but the level of conviction and determination that came from the other boy in spite of the inevitable dire situation was admirable. It was just another cause for Tim to dedicate himself to.

"Well, hey, look." Trevor started, not really feeling comfortable with this whole... compassion and empathy thing but he was making a concerted effort. "I can do more than just supply kids with alcohol or get someone's grades changed. If you or her need anything, anything at all, that the Academy won't provide, you let me know, alright?"

[Tim Tawfeek]

Tim looked as Trevor spoke. He kept his attention on the other guy, practically waiting to be told that he'd overshared or something. To his surprise, Trevor seemed to be struggling with something else. Tim let out a harsh little laugh as Trevor admitted to the whole supplying thing. Yeah, yeah Tim had definitely figured as much.

"Thanks man," he said, bobbing his head again. "Though I'm not sure if there's anything we can really do," he spread his hands for a moment in a gesture of hopelessness before closing them, "I've heard some work's being done and all, but," he shrugged again. "I dunno. I just keep looking." Tim let out a chuckle, looking wryly in Trevor's direction. "Kinda makes me wish I'd gone into medicine instead of the whole broadcasting thing. Though man," he shook his head, "this ain't what I figured I'd be thinking about when I got in here."

Tim waited a beat, looking down. He chuckled and shook his head. "See, this is so why saunas are totally a white people thing. This just making me think of home or shit," he joked, giving Trevor a grin.

[Trevor Paige]

Even Trevor wasn't sure what he could offer in support of the dying girl Tim was so obviously infatuated with but the conviction and determination he caught in the other boy's voice was more than enough to motivate his response. The offer would stand, regardless of whether or not it would ever been called upon but it had been evident the topic had run its course well before Tim voiced his opinion.

"It's not even a general white people thing." He added, chuckling a little as well. "It's more of an old white guy thing. I mean, I've been in a few of these things with my parents and you're the first guy even close to my age I've ever seen in one." He confessed, not really remembering the images of several towel clad old men lounging about in a steamy sauna. "I only ended up here because I wanted to relax and I think I've got some crazy chick trying to track me down."

[Tim Tawfeek]

Tim let out a laugh as Trevor insisted that it wasn't a general thing. He was sorely tempted to point out that Trevor was in here, but the slick guy seemed to realize that himself, already stating that he'd essentially came in here to avoid people. "Yeah, I got one of those too: name's Jack though," Tim let out another laugh, "so less girl and more just crazy guy."

Tim stretched again, this time rising to his feet. "Well, not that I'm not enjoying the conversation or anything, but I'd rather talk where I'm not gonna sweat my balls off," he nodded and began walking to the entrance. "Also wearing clothes would be nice," he tucked the towel in as he moved, not wanting to show off anything for Trevor. Tim did pause as he hit the door, looking to Trevor, obviously wanting to see if the guy wanted to join him.

"Should I be looking for some kind of crazy stalker out here? You have some deal go wrong?" Tim was already peering to see if there was some glass he should be looking out of for crazy spotting.